The Weekend Preview is a blog that aims to provide a different angle on the narrative of an upcoming sporting event.

From the stocky little midfielder that nobody wanted to a Rising Star, Premiership Captain & Brownlow Medalist, the story of Sam Mitchell’s perseverance to make it to the very top of the game is now a well-worn tale. But as we now shake our heads in disbelief as to how Mitchell could have ever been overlooked in his draft year, has the AFL industry actually learnt its lesson?

In 2014 a furore erupted when it became evident that the Sydney Swans would pay minimal compensation for the acquisition of their academy graduate Isaac Heeney. 4 years on, is the academy system for NSW and Queensland clubs working? And is it fair?

It is now 9 decades since the peak of the Collingwood-Richmond rivalry. Over 3 consecutive Grand Finals between 1927-1929, the Collingwood Machine Team established it’s greatness despite the efforts of the competitive Tigers. But what was the key element to the success of the Machine Team? And can it be found in the present day Tigers?

After 2 games played, Argentina are in crisis, Brazil have narrowly avoided disaster, Peru are scoreless, Uruguay have been lacklustre and Colombia have just recovered from a calamitous opening game. What's going wrong for the South American teams? Or, after Colombia's impressive 3-0 win against Poland, is the tide finally going to turn in favour of the South Americans?

The French National team has invented new ways of self imploding and based on their usual 8-year cycle they are due another disaster in 2018. Can Australia capitalise? Is it most advantageous for Australis to play them first?

The ruck battle is the last great head-to-head duel in modern football. And this week the two premier ruckmen in the AFL this season, Max Gawn and Brodie Grundy, will come face-to-face. But which one can lay claim to be the best ruckman in the league?

In tribute to the 2018 Sir Doug Nicholls Indigenous Round, The Weekend Preview reflects on how Michael O’Loughlin launched his career and investigates whether we have passed the peak of Lance Franklin.

West Coast were formidable at Subiaco, but they have looked similarly impressive at Optus Stadium. So was the home-ground factor of the Subiaco ground dimensions (long & narrow) over-hyped? And what about the Tigers playing away from their beloved short & wide MCG?

Stephen Kernahan may be Carlton’s Captain in their Team of the Century, but unfortunately for him, he is remembered for 2 things… And although the 2018 Carlton side is only a shadow of what was on show in the Kernahan era, on the bright side the Blues do have an evergreen halfback that is in career best form…

North Melbourne has missed out on Father-Son prospect Nick Blakey. In terms of the Father-Son rule, the Kangaroos are surely the most unlucky team in the AFL. As for Sydney, what will they need to give up to secure Blakey in the draft?

It was stability, on and off the field that ultimately formed the platform for Richmond’s 2017 premiership success. And whilst Dustin Martin ultimately took most of the individual award honours in Richmond’s premiership season, it was possibly Alex Rance that was the most irreplaceable Richmond player. Rance is the pre-eminent key defender of his generation, but is he still the best key defender in the AFL?

There were two moments that summed up the fortunes of Geelong in the 2008 and 2009 Grand Finals. And there was one player who was central to both moments - Cameron Mooney. He is also the only player that has celebrated both a birthday and a premiership on the same day for over 20 years. But does a footballer's birthday really matter? More than you think.

2018 represents the 10 year anniversary of Hawthorn's 2008 Premiership success and the coming together of the greatest ever left-footed team. But is it really true that left-footers are better kicks of the football? The Weekend Preview investigates.

Watching the Richmond and Carlton Football Clubs start the AFL fixture each year is usually a preamble to the season proper for most supporters. But this year (at last), it’s not just a cautionary tale on how to mismanage a club, it’s a cautionary tale on how to manage a premiership team. It has been over 2 decades since either team has faced the scenario of defending a premiership…

The narrative of the Men’s 2018 Australian Open Tournament has been dominated by injury to key players, but it is hard to argue that the two finalists are the most deserving of a spot in the final. Roger Federer is the overwhelming favourite to beat Marin Cilic, but is this justified? To answer this question, The Weekend Preview examines the performances of both players in the 6 matches they have played en route to the final.

As a bonus set of articles for the Australian Open, The Weekend Preview will present a round by round assessment of the state of play in the Men’s Singles Draw. Before the Fourth Round, we discuss the impact of age and inexperience.